GLOBAL F&A
TRANSFORMATION
PayPal
Project Summary
Following its spinoff, PayPal sought to modernize its Finance & Accounting operations and move away from legacy systems and outsourcing models. IBM used a highly immersive, branded client experience to reposition itself as a transformational strategic partner, standing apart from competitors like Accenture and Genpact.
My Role
Creative Lead — led experience concept, storytelling, motion design, and environmental execution across executive presentations and on-site engagements.
Client / Team Context
PayPal executive stakeholders engaged with IBM’s ADS team through a multi-phase pitch experience spanning an orals session in San Jose and a site visit in Chennai, India.
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Challenge 1: Traditional presentation formats risked diluting IBM’s strategic value.
Solution: Directed the creation of an animated, branded Keynote deck that simplified complex content, reduced on-screen clutter, and emphasized narrative-driven storytelling, keeping focus on dialogue and engagement.Challenge 2: PayPal needed to feel an emotional connection to the IBM team and environment.
Solution: Researched PayPal’s brand and workplace culture, then transformed the IBM Chennai office to mirror that aesthetic, using custom wall graphics, lighting, personalized details, and a “living room”–style lunch space to create a sense of familiarity and trust.Challenge 3: IBM’s pitch would be directly compared against competing vendors.
Solution: Designed an interactive, sensory-rich experience featuring spatial transitions, physical engagement moments, and a dramatic reveal of a fully branded mock PayPal floor, leaving a lasting, differentiated impression. -
Orals Session — San Jose, CA
Custom animated and branded Keynote presentation
Printed fold-out transformation roadmap booklet
Bio cards and tower transformation maps
Co-branded visual system (IBM × PayPal logo lockup)
Integrated messaging themes (“Together we can do it all”)
Site Visit — Chennai, India
Environmental graphics and set design (murals, decals, posters, lighting)
Welcome package with printed agenda, branded chocolates, and team overview
Motion presentations and multimedia room enhancements
Branded lanyards, name tags, and journals
Photo wall and interactive signature experience
Branded snack stations and transformed common areas
Follow-up gift booklet with photos and peacock souvenir
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Delivered a standout pitch experience with strong emotional resonance
Clearly differentiated IBM from competing vendors through immersive storytelling
Strengthened executive perception of IBM as a transformation partner
By creating a cohesive narrative PayPal could see, feel, and walk through, IBM shifted the conversation from transactional services to trusted, long-term transformation.
